A Tale of Two Projects: a/k/a Why I Haven't Posted Lately

I have been working feverishly on several large projects over the last several weeks - so please forgive me for starting a blog and then not posting for a long time!  My nose has been to the grindstone...and your reward for your patience is this new blog post with photos and details of each project.

You never know where your clients will come from:  I needed my computer repaired and called someone who I had read rave reviews about in the Houston Chronicle.  When we spoke on the phone he said "I am glad that you called...I just moved into a high rise condo and I need window treatments!"*

We met (after my computer had been quickly and successfully repaired with prompt and professional in-house service) and began selecting window treatments styles and fabrics.  We narrowed down the window treatment style and fabrics at the first meeting and I went back to my studio to create a computer rendering for his review.

 

This rendering shows the same basic style (a modified Jackie Von Tobel treatment from her wonderful Design Directory of Window Treatments book) on each window, but I was trying out different crown molding sizes for the top and bottom of the cornices.  The diagonal brown lines represent silk fabric cording in the same color as the wood stain for the crown molding accents.

I actually made a sample to-scale (one section) cornice to test out the proportions and see the crown molding in place so I could verify the wood trim would not make the treatment too top- or bottom-heavy in appearance.  The finished project was modeled after the rendering on the right, with the smaller molding on the bottom.  I thought the larger bottom molding shown in the left rendering made the treatment look a little too boxy and structured.

For this project, there are two windows with existing motorized shades.  The windows are about 5 feet apart; one is in the dining area and one is in the den area. 

There were several concerns in planning this project:  the right window in the den area was only 3" from the corner, so I had to allow for the drapery panel return and bracket and the cornice frame as well as the projecting crown molding trim on the cornice. 

We were concerned that the walls would be concrete, which we were prepared for at the installation.  However, the installation gods were looking down upon us and the Sheetrock walls allowed for a quick and easy installation job.

Below is the completed view of one of the windows.

The sheers add softness over the motorized shades and the drapery panels are made with a gorgeous Barbara Barry starburst fabric that has an almost quilted loft.  The stationary panels were lined in the French blackout method (face fabric, interlining, black lining and then white lining) for a luxurious hand and weight.  Each panel is 1.5 widths of material with all side and bottom hems hand sewn.

The cornices feature 1" bottom crown trim and 3" top crown, stained.  The diagonal and vertical brown trim is interlined silk fabric.  The diamonds are covered in an ocean blue dupioni silk to coordinate with the walls and the beautiful new (not shown) Barbara Barry dining room chairs.

The art work (shown on right) works wonderfully with the window treatment fabrics, picking up all of the shades of the fabrics and throughout the rooms.

Now...on to the next project!

These two rooms were for a client that I have fabricated some of my favorite projects for. 

The first room  features a large wall of windows with about 30" of space below the round window, which is above the bank of 3 windows.  For privacy and light control, we added traversing lined drapery panels in a turquoise fabric with a diamond trellis tone-on-tone design.

The valance is made from a wonderful and colorful paisley fabric from Pindler & Pindler.  The valance is raised in an arched style to take advantage of the high ceilings and to minimize the large space between windows.  There is an approximate 10" increase in height from the outer swagged sections to the center highest point of the valance.

My favorite part is the trim!  The client chose a festive and heavy turquoise, yellow and green ball fringe with a bead accent and woven band.  It adds color, contrast and weight to the valance and is the perfect finishing touch!

 

Additionally, we fabricated a custom comforter with the paisley pattern quilted-on-design to add loft and interest to the bedspread.  Not shown are additional pillows, including embroidery on a lime-green snakeskin patterned fabric, which looked terrific.

Now, on to the playroom!

A bright multi-colored striped fabric was selected for the pointed pennant shaped valances.  I utilized the pelmet method to add stability and shape for these valances.  The large valance was 13.5 feet long!  The small valance was about 40".  Both had long points of 24" and short points (the high points of the valance hem) of 18".  A self cording was made for the bottom of the valances in the same fabric, but cut on the bias (diagonal) to add interest. 

So, as you can see, I have been busy working on some very creative, challenging and fun projects.  I hope you enjoyed seeing them! 

Susan

*If you need the name of a wonderful computer repair company in the Houston area, email me directly and I will provide his contact information - he's terrific!

How Things Started

The fabric in the photo below is from the late 1950s or very early 1960s...isn't it cute?  I love the little scissors, spools of thread and patches of fabric.  I wish I knew what colors were in it; this photo is black and white and I was too young to remember the fabric.

The photo below shows my twin sister and I wearing matching outfits made from the above fabric.  Isn't the fabric cute?  I think I was destined to love fabric and creating things from fabric...so be careful how you dress your children; you never know how the fabrics will influence them for the rest of their lives!

Can you guess which one is me?

Of course, clothing and fabric really don't define your destiny.  My twin sister can't sew a stitch and takes clothes to the cleaners to get a button sewn on, which I think is really funny.

In actuality, I learned to sew in Girl Scouts.  Mrs. Barbeau was a fellow Scout's mother and she was brave enough to host a number of my troop members for several classes in learning the basics of sewing.  I still remember the dress I made:  light blue floral with a gathered bodice and ties in the back.  I loved that dress!

The first window treatments I ever made were for my first home, which is just one block away from my current home.  I live in an older neighbhorhood that is seeing a lot of new construction, and my previous sweet little yellow home was recently sold to a developer and is in the process of demolition.  The owner let me come and say "goodbye" to my house last week; the kitchen valances I made in 1986 were still hanging over the kitchen sink!  That was both a little scary and also a little bittersweet.

As long as I can remember, I have loved fabrics and daydreaming about what could be created with it.  When I was in high school, local department stores J.C. Penney, Foley's and my favorite, the family owned Sakowitz stores, had fabric departments that I would roam around in for hours looking at patterns and fabrics.  Sakowitz went out of business a number of years ago and Foley's has been taken over by Macy's, and the fabric departments disappeared long before the stores closed or changed hands.

I took sewing classes at J.C. Penney's, too. I remember buying all of my class supplies there, and agonizing over which sewing kit to purchase.  I ended up choosing a light blue and white gingham kit that I still have somewhere.  For the first several years of my business, I sewed my client window treatments on my mom's Singer sewing machine that Dad had won in a sales contest when I was in high school.  I took that machine to college so that I could sew while I was away from home. 

My mom sewed when we were younger.  With five kids, it was practical to be able to make a few things.  She hated sewing!  We all knew that we should stay out of her way when she was trying to work on a sewing project.  As a matter of fact, here is part of a poem I wrote for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary several years ago:

"People often ask me if my mom taught me to sew...

After I stop laughing, I have to tell them "NO!"

For my mom, sewing was an earthly form of hell;

There'd be pattern pieces flying, and curse words I can't tell.

We'd close the door and hope that mom would get a grip,

But every seam she sewed was a seam she'd have to rip!

But if I think about it...Mom DID help me to sew:

She drove me to sewing class at J.C. Penney Co.!

, Of course, she really wasn't cursing while sewing, but it fit well into the poem so I had to include it for dramatic efffect - sorry Mom!

My mom's birthday was last week and she, my dad and I had lunch together this week to celebrate.  The photo above is my lovely, sweet, funny mother. 

Happy birthday, Mom, I love you and I'm glad you're my mom!!!

Both of my parents have been tremendously supportive of me, my business, and of course, my sewing. In a future post, I will write about and showcase some of the beautiful woodwork my dad has done for my office and for some of my projects. 

Thank you for walking down memory lane with me...

Susan